Loose-leaf binder.



F. W. STEUER.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED 1 313.12, 1908.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFIQE.

FREDERIK WILHELM STEUER, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BAIRD COMPANY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LOOSE -LEAF BIHDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Freeman; Vl nlrrnmr Srnu'nn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to temporary binders and more particularly to the metal parts of the class known as loose leaf books.

The object of the invention is to produce an extremely simple and effective binder, having no detachable parts and so constructed as to make derangement by contin uous use, impossible. Further, to provide a novel form of locking device in' such a binder, which may be operated by one movement of the hand and which will hold securely in aclosed position. Further, to guard against and prevent lateral play or movement of the sheets in the binder and thereby avoid wear and tearing out at the perforations and finally to adapt the binder for use with sheets of any length and width, etc., etc.

The accompanying drawing will serve to illustrate a device suitable for carrying my invention into effect. I wish it understood, however, that I do not limit myself to either the exact construction or arrangement of parts shown, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l, a view in perspective, showing the binder complete and ready for use, and Fig. 2, is a sectional view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, l and 2 represent the covers of a loose leaf book, which are connected in the usual manner by a flexible back. A plate 3, secured by spurs, lugs or otherwise to the cover 1, at a point adjacent to the flexible back, is provided with a bent-up portion 4, the upper edge of which is rolled over to form bearings suitable for receiving the ends 7, of a bail S. Cooperating with the bail 8, there are two or more posts 9, which are secured at their lower ends in openings of the plate 3, and extend upwardly therefrom to receive and hold the perforated sheets ll, for which the book is designed. Grooves 10, formed in the posts, serve as locking recesses or depressions into which the bail snaps when swung downward and sprung over the ends of the posts, which are rounded as shown.

in the use of the device, pressure of the thumb upon the bail is suliicient to disen gage it from the posts and throw it upward as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l and after the required number of sheets, cards or the like have been placed in position, with the posts engaging the perforations thereof, they are secured by swinging the bail down into locked relation with the posts as in Fig. 2.

It will be evident that the device may be usedv as a paper clip, if desired, by dispensing with the flexibly connected covers, the attaching spurs or lugs, etc., etc.

The many important advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description.

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim:

The combination of an angle plate, posts fixed to the plate, said posts having grooves formed therein and terminating in rounded extremities, and a bail mounted upon the plate above the plane of the base of the posts and movable into locked relation with the grooves thereof.

Signed at Plainiield in the county of Union and State of New Jersey this 8th day of February A. D. 1908.

FREDERIK WILHELM STEUER.

Witnesses DANIEL E. DAVIS, G. A. HALLooK. 

